Carbureted-water-gas apparatus



Jan. 13, 1931. W, J MCCLURG 1,788,400

CARBURETED WATER GAS APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1FIE-5.1.

WIT/V568 Jan. 13, 1931. w, J MccLURG 1,788,4Q0

' CARBURETED WATER GAS APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR a liilga if 1,

Patented Jan. 13, 19 31 i UNITED smarts WILLI ,1. McC LllJBG, onPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA I qanBoRE En-wATnR-eAs APPAn'ATUs 1 Applicationfiled oetoteraa; 1924. Serial No. 745,736,

Thisinvention relates to improvements in gas generators having among itsobjects the provision of a pluralityof annular compartments leading to acommon chamber and having a valved carbureter provided with a pluralityof battles, each communicating witli one of the saidannularcompartments.' 4

Another object of the invention is to provide in a gas generator meansfor independent air supply to the lower end of a plurality of annularcompartmentsand means for supplying steam to a chamber common to thesaid compartments. i

lhese and other objects will become more apparent from a considerationof the-accompanying drawing in. which like reference charactersdesignatelike parts and in which Fig. 1 is a; sectional elevation of theimproved apparatus. claimed herein; Fig.2 is 0 a top plan view of thesame, the carbureting chamber being shown in section; Fig. 8 is asectional plan view on a plane indicated by the line III,'III, Fig. 1Fig. it is a sectional plan View on a plane indicated by the line 2 rv,1v, Fig. 1.

In the practice ofthe invention the water generating chamber is providedwith, a

central hollow shaft 2 and'the chamber and shaft are divided into aplurality of symmetrically arranged compartments designated respectively1a,1b, 10, 1d,.and 2a, 2?), 2c, 265, by vertical walls. The partitionwalls in the chamber 1 do not extend to the top arch thus providing acommon chamberA with which all of the compartmentsla, 1?), 10, and 1dcommunicate. The several compartments in the chamber and shaft areconnected at points below. the grates 8 by a port 4-, controlled by avalve 5 operated bymeans of a rod 6 extending out through the walls ofthe chamber 1. Above the chamber 1 and in vertical alinement with thecentral shaft is arranged a carbureting shaft 7 dividedinto twocompartments or chambers by a. diametrically arrangedwall 8 in'linevertically with, and forming-an extension of,one of the partition wallsin the central shaft. The lower end of one of :the compartments in thecarbureting shaft communicates with the commoncompartmentA of thechamber 1 through a. port 9, the passage of gases through said portbeingcontrolled by avalve 10. In order toinsure the thorough mixing of gasesadmitted to the carbureting column with the vaporized oil, introolucedinto the stack 7 the pipe 11,a pluralityof'horizontally arranged baflies12 are arranged in the compartments ofthe'stack, said compartmentscommunicating one with the other through a port 13 in the'partition wall8."

A plurality of openings 14,3ar

fed tothe several compartments 1a, 1b, .10, and 1d,;preferably by meansof hopper and hell devices: '13 arranged in feeding relation 1 to saidopenings. These hopperfandbelldevices (only oneof which is shown) maybeof any'suitable construction-known in, the

art: i

In order to supply airffor purposes 1 5 inafter'described, to lower endsofthe compartments 1a, 1b, 10, and-lcl,a*bustle pipe .15 suitablyconnected to a source of supply of airunder pressure, by apipe116, isconnected by branches 17 provided with reguv e formed in -ithe top .ofthe chamber through'which coal is lating valves to the severalcompartments at points below the grates. Provision is made forintroducing air into the common cham- :berA by means'of a branch pipe18*extending from the supply pipe 16 to'lowe'r ends of one of the coalfeeding hoppers:

In certainoperations hereinafter. d'escr'bed,

it isdesirable'to introduce steaminto the lower ends of thecompartments, 1a, 1b, 10 and 1d,

also into the common chamber A, and provision is made for utilizing theheat contained .in the generated gasesfor the generation of steam forsuch purposes. As showninFig. 1, the lower portions of the compartmentofthe carbureting, shaft throughwhich the gases o descend, is providedwith a port 19connected by 'a pipe 20 to the steam generatorof anysuitable construction, whereby heat may be extracted from the gases andfutilizedforthe is divided by a transverse Wall into the compartments21and 22. pipeZO is -conrel nected to one of these compartments from whichthe hot gases will flow through the tubes 23 communicating with suchcompartment to the chamber 24 and from the latter through tubescommunicating with the compartment 22. Steam is conducted by a pipe 25toganannular: pipe 26 surrounding the I chamber I vand havingvalved-branches 27 ;e'scapeto the air.

communicating with the lower ends of the compartments 1a and 16. Asshown in Fig 1,

the pipe 26 is provided witliavalvedddraneh- 28 extending into the airbranch 18.

Gases flow from the compartment22"o'fthe ator --l--to a stateofincandescencegthe valve 10 controlling the flowofgases F'from theconimon chamber: to the: car'bure-tingicolumn,- the v'alve '20'a-in-thepipe line 20, and the valve '30 in the pipe:29 areio-pe-nech except-asherein after described. The valves in one or more of thei'branchesfliconnecting the-bustle pipe to the lower ends ofthe compartments 1a, 1?),

lc -andfildare,op'ened and the valves 5 closed. Airgwill now-flow upthroughthexcharges in the compartments and the blast'gases generatedtherein willrpass into'thecommonrcompartment- A- and flow thence throughthe port 911p one-and down the'othersideof thecarbureting; column 7through the pipe 20, the

tubes o'fithesteam" generator, from the latter, to and out through thestack-34: After'the charges in one 'or'more-of the compartmentsofrthergasgenerator: havejbeen blasted up as described, the air is cutoff? and .steam is admitted to the lower ends-of thecompartments throughthe branch pipes l? extending. from the bustle pipe '26 connected as:hereinbefore stated to thesteamgenerator; The water gas generatedzbytheflow of steam through. the incandescent charges: in the generator, willfollow the coursehereinbefore described, but in lieuof permittingtliecombustible gases thus generated, to escape through" the" stack,

the-lid thereof: is closed'and such water: gases will flow through the 1pipe;- 31,; through: the hydraulic seal 32-to a point of'useiorstorage.I fdesired,ithe gas may be enriched by i'njectingoil through thepipe 11into the gasesrfiow ing throughthecarbureterZ.

t It will .be =understood thatif desiredvth e air blast-mgJotthe charge.in one: onmoresofathe compartments may be efi'ected While steam is beingpassed through other charges, which have been previously blasted. Insuch case, the lean gases produced in blasting will mingle with thericher gases flowing from'the other charges, but the lowering of theaverageof such mixture can-be compensated for by theinjectionof oil ashereinbefore described. c

In lieu of the method described, steam, af terbl astihg'up,canbeadmitted to the common chamben Ai through the pipe 28 and the loweren'd'of hopper B so that the valve 10, .beingplosed,,andthe alve 5 atthe lower end of the hollow shaft opened, the steam will flow"downwardly-through! the chambers in 10,16,1"0, and ld; and-rzupthroughthe compartments-s2a,fl2b', 2c and2cl in the central shaft,andathence'rthrough :the pipe 20,:steam gener ator, pip'es 29 iand" toand through the hydrauliesea'lf In making this down run, the'charges'inione' or more ofithe'compartment s 1a andilb 'canbefblastedup while gas is being" generated in. the: other compartment,

by closing the valve 'or valves:5 in the passage I 1 connectingtherlowerend-of the'compartment the fuel charges;

to be blastedand: opening the "valve in the branch pipe17,connectingsuch compartment with the' hustlepipe l'fili The air blastgases generated in theblasting'up will enter the common chamber A andpass down through the xcharges iu the other compartments with the steamadmitted to the common chamber through the ib'nanch pipe" 28.

'ln or-dento' remove Water gas'or carbon ad heringt to Wallsof thechambersor passages, a nd lb'dgin'g behind projections or in corners, itis desirable fromtime totime to eiiect a return or'scavenging run, 2 Insucli"cases, the valves 5 controlling communication between the lo'werends otithe compartments in the water gas-generatorand the' centralshaft are opened, and the valve 10 in port 9 and valves 3( )"and 20b inpipes 29 and 'lfiareclosed. Steam is admitted'into the'chamber 22 in thesteam generatonthrough the pipe 36, and passes dowlr through some of thetubes of t'h'esteamj generatorand upthrough others to chamber 21 andthen along pipe 20 to and I through the 'carbureting column andalso thecompartments- 2a, 2b,-' 2c and 2d, in the central shaft From the'lowerends of the compartments t re How of steam and gases will beup througlithe charges in the compartments 121 15, '1 0 'and 1d to the commonchamber Aiand'yfrom that chamber by a pipe 37'to the'hydrauli'cse'aliThe valve 38 in the pipewillbe'close'd exceptiwhenrmaking a return-0rscavengingrrunu a desirable method of;'operationicohsists in closing thevalves. in" branches 17 'from the: bustle pipe, the valves-in branches18 and 39 and valve20a; andiop'ening valve-20b and valves 5; atlowerend.ofcentral' shaft I 2. 4 willgtheni flow through pipes 16 and V 520through carbureter 7 and down through making down runs it is preferredthat the blasting up operations should be effected in succession in theseveral compartments 1a, 1b, as in this way, the hot gases formed in theblasting up can be utilized for further gasifying the coal andvaporizing the tars, and other by-products distilled from the coalcharged into the other or gas-generating compartments.

As the surfaces in the carbureter and passages leading therefrom to thesteam generator, may become heavily coated with carbon which can beremoved onlyby combustion,- provision 1s made for lntroducmg a1r Intothe pipe 20 by means of a branch pipe 39 extending from the supply pipe18, and provided with a valve 40, and from the pipe 20 extends an outletpipe ll having a controlling valve 42. During the scavenging runhereinbefore described, the valve 40 1s open to supply air for thecombustion of carbon.

As the valve 10 in the passage connecting the common chamber A with thelower end of the stack is subjected to high temperatures,

especially during the blasting-up operation,-

provision is made for preventing excessive heating of the valve. Aconvenient construction to that end consists in providing apocket forthe reception of the valve when raised 4 chi) and the air supply pipe 16is connected by a valved branch pipe 39 to suchpocket.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. Carbureted water gas apparatus including a water gas generator havinga plurality of compartments in angularly spaced rela-:

tion, communicating at their upper ends with a common chamber, asuperposed carbureter havmg a valved connection with the common bafiles,means for independently supplying air to thelower ends of thecompartments,

and means for independently supplying steam to the several compartments.

2. Carbureted water gas apparatus including a water gas generator havinga' plurality of compartments in angularly spaced relation, communicatingat their upper ends with a common chamber, a superposed carbureterhaving a valved connection with the common chamber and provided with aplurality-of baflles, means for independently supplying air to the lowerends of the compartments, means for independently supplying steam to theseveral compartments, and means for supplying air to the common chamber.

3. carbureted water gas apparatus includ-,

ing a water gas generator having a centrally arranged hollow shaft, saidshaft and the annular space around the shaft being divided into aplurality of vertical compartments,

the annularly arranged compartments having valved connections with thelower ends of the compartments'in the shaft, and communicating with acommon chamber, a superposed carbureter provided with baflies andcommunicating with the compartments in the shaft and having a valvedconnection with the common chamber, means for sup;

plying air independently to the lower ends of the annularly arrangedcompartments,

and means for supplying steam to the common chamber. r

4. Carbureted-water gas apparatus includinga water gas generator havinga centrally arranged hollow shaft, said shaft and the annular spacearound the shaft being divided into a plurality of verticalcompartments, the annularly arranged compartments havingvalvedconnection with the lower ends of the compartments in the shaft, andcommunicating with a common chamber, a

superposed carbureter provided with baflies and communicating with thecompartments in the shaft, means forsupplying air independently to thelower ends of the annularly arranged compartments, and means forsupplying steam to the common chamber, and V means'for feeding fuel tosaid compartments.

5. Ina carbureted water gas apparatus, a water gas generator having acentralhollow shaft extending from the bottom of the generator throughthe roof thereof, said shaft having diametric walls dividing itsinterior into a plurality of vertical passages or compartments,radial'walls extending upwardly from the bottom of the generator anddividing the annular space between the walls of the generator and thecentral shaft into a plurality of open-topped compartments for thereception of fuel, valved passages connecting'the lower ends of the fuelcompartments and the passages in the shaft, and a .valved gas passageconnecting the portion chamber and provided with a plurality of,

of the generator above. the fuel compartments with the upper portion ofthe shaft.

. In testimony whereof, I'have hereunto set

